The competitive effects of line-of-business restrictions in telecommunications

We review the original rationale for the line-of-business restrictions faced by the RBOCs and discuss changes in the conditions that motivated them. These changes include: (1) reduced incentives for local exchange carriers (LECs) to shift costs from unregulated to regulated businesses; (2) improved deterrence and monitoring of discrimination in providing network access; and (3) recognition that antitrust laws apply to abuse of market power in local exchange. We also analyze trends in prices charged by RBOCs and other LECs which suggest that the opportunity to engage in cost shuting is of little or no significance today. We conclude that eliminating the remaining line-of-business restrictions is not likely to raise significant new competitive concerns but consumers are likely to benefit from entry by RBOCs into now-prohibited businesses, many of which are highly concentrated.     

The myth of export pessimism (even) under the mfa: evidence from indonesia and thailand

Zusammenfassung Der Mythos vom Exportpessimismus (sogar) unter dem Multifaserabkommen: Empirische Evidenz aus Indonesien und Thailand.—Trotz der erwiesenen Exporterfolge der asiatischen Schwellenl?nder und einiger anderer Entwicklungsl?nder ist in politischen und intellektuellen Kreisen wieder die Vorstellung vom Exportpessimismus verbreitet. Die Verfasser sind dagegen der Ansicht, da? die Bedeutung der Nachfragebeschr?nkungen für Produkte aus Entwicklungsl?ndern übertrieben wird. Sie belegen dies mit einer Fallstudie der Textilexporte zweier südostasiatischer Schwellenl?nder. Sie zeigen, da? effiziente und flexible Volkswirtschaften auch ?u?erst schwierige Handelsschranken überwinden k?nnen.

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Résumé Le mythe du pessimisme d’exportation (même) sous l’accord des multifibres: L’évidence de l’Indonésie et de la Tha?lande.—La notion du pessimisme d’exportation est devenue populaire dans quelques milieux politiques et intellectuels malgré le succès qui s’est montré aux exportations des pays nouvellement industrialisés en Asie et d’un nombre d’autres pays en voie de développement. Dans cette étude les auteurs affirment que l’importance des restrictions de la part de la demande pour les exportations des pays en voie de développement est exagérée. Ils soutiennent ce point de vue sur la base d’une étude des exportations de textiles de deux pays en Asie de Sud-Est qui sont en train de s’industrialiser tard. L’étude montre que des économies efficientes et flexibles peuvent surmonter les restrictions du commerce les plus sévères.

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Resumen El mito del pesimismo exportador (incluso) bajo el MFA: evidencia para Indonesia y Tailandia.—A pesar del éxito exportador demostrado por los NICs del Asia y ciertos otros paises en vias de desarrollo la noción del pesimismo exportador una vez más alcanzó popularidad en algunos círculos cercanos a la politica económica y de intelectuales. En este trabajo se sostiene que la importancia dada a las restricciones de demanda sobre las exportaciones de los países en vías de desarrollo es exagerada. Se basa esta proposición en un estudio de caso de las exportaciones de productos textiles de dos paises de industrialización tardía del Sudeste asiático. En este trabajo se demuestra que economias eficientes y flexibles pueden superar incluso las restricciones más severas al comercio international.

     

CONSUMER PERCEPTION OF CORPORATE DONATIONS Effects of Company Reputation for Social Responsibility and Type of Donation

In cause-related marketing (CRM), a company agrees to donate money to a charity each time a consumer engages in a revenue-producing transaction with the firm. Since the company benefits first before any obligation to donate is accrued, consumers might perceive this practice to be less altruistic than an unconditional donation to a cause. If so, CRM could backfire, injuring corporate image. This study investigated the effects of type of donation (conditional or not conditional upon corporate revenue) and reputation of the firm making the donation (firms described as scrupulous, average, or irresponsible in the discharge of their social responsibility) on consumer regard for the firm; perceived mercenary intent of the firm; and whether the social performance of the company is consistent with "good" management. Consumer responses were predicted based on the contrast effect and attribution theory. Results suggest that irresponsible firms increased their favor with consumers by pursuing either type of donation. The average firm enhanced its image by pursuing an unconditional donation, but a conditional donation did not damage firm image. Perception of the scrupulous firm was little changed after unconditional donation, but a scrupulous firm suffered a loss of favor by pursuing CRM. It is concluded that the average firm does not risk a loss of public goodwill when using CRM.     

Information overload and disclosure smoothing

Review of Accounting Studies - This paper examines whether managers can reduce the detrimental effects of information overload by spreading out, or temporally smoothing, disclosures. We begin by...     

Some neglected issues in factor proportions and ownership: An Indonesian case study

Conclusion The purpose of this article has been to examine a number of issues frequently overlooked in the large literature on factor proportions and ownership in LDC manufacturing, with reference to a rich data set from Indonesia. Substantial differences in factor proportions among ownership groups confirm the conclusions of most other studies. This paper departs from a significant portion of the general literature in four respects: it introduces a systematic decomposition technique for distinguishing between differences within industries and those arising from compositional differences; it has emphasised the importance of finely disaggregated industrial classifications, without which interfirm comparisons may generate quite misleading results; it has highlighted the need to develop more elaborate ownership definitions than the simple foreign-domestic dichotomy commonly employed; and it has cast doubt on the validity of the frequent assertion that differences in factor proportions are attributable principally to variations in relative factor prices among ownership groups. Our conclusions are inevitably restricted by the focus on just one country. However, they have some general applicability given the quality of the Indonesian data base, and the nature of its industrial policy environment - especially high manufacturing protection and a relatively liberal foreign investment code - which is replicated in other developing countries.